WhatsApp will stop working for these smartphones within the next year

WhatsApp will cease to work on handsets which are powered by Microsoft's software in December 2019 (Photo: Shutterstock)

Thousands of WhatsApp users could soon lose access to the messaging service, as it announces it is to withdraw support for some smartphones.

Users who are running the app on any version of the Windows operating system may see features stop functioning at any time.

Who will be affected?

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WhatsApp will cease to work on handsets which are powered by Microsoft's software in December 2019, the messaging service announced in a blog post this week.

The Windows Phone operating system was launched in October 2010, but Microsoft announced in January this year that it would no longer support the software from December 2019, advising shoppers to buy iOS or Android devices instead.

The Windows Phone never achieved the success of its rivals and didn't encourage the same excitement from app developers.

WhatsApp will cease to work on Microsoft handsets in December 2019 (Photo: Shutterstock)

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